


Forever and Always

by theinksplotch



Series: Reddie Tumblr Prompts [4]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Boys In Love, Drabble, Eddie Kaspbrak-centric, Fluff, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, Tumblr Prompt, soft soft soft!, unedited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 21:37:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16227821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinksplotch/pseuds/theinksplotch
Summary: number 7 from theKissing Askson tumblr!!"A kiss...to shut them up"





	Forever and Always

It was a normal thing, really.

It always _had_ been.

Richie Tozier talked _too much_. It had been that way for as long as Eddie could remember, since the two of them met way back in the first grade almost eight years prior. Richie was the type of person that _had_ to fill every silence with whatever popped into his head first, no filter- it was what always got him in trouble with bullies and adults and, well _everybody_ , really. Usually, Eddie could get him to cool it with a well-aimed poke to the side or a  _beep beep, Richie._

Sometimes, Richie didn’t stop even then, though.

“The _fuck_ did you just say to me, _Fuckface_?”

There was something about Henry Bowers’ hunting knife that always made Eddie’s blood run cold.

Perhaps it was how it seemed to catch the rays of sun that managed to shine through the cracks in the faded red roof above the Kissing Bridge, or the fact that it had _Bowers_ engraved in the leather hilt, like a brand on a cow’s hide.

Or maybe it was just because he knew Henry could kill them with it and not bat an eye.

“ _Nothin_ ’, nothin’,” Richie held his hands up in defense, shrugging a little. His voice seemed to bounce off the walls of the Kissing Bridge, echoing in Eddie’s ears. They’d been backed up against the tunnel's wall, the canal roaring beneath their feet- sounding much like the blood roaring in Eddie’s ears. Because Richie was talking, and he _couldn’t seem to stop himself_.

“I just think it’s ironic, is all- nah, _ironic_ isn’t the right word…” Richie pushed his glasses up the soft slope of his nose, and Eddie could see his hand shaking.

“Richie,” he said, “Shut. _Up_.”

_Holy Fuck._

“Oh, _I_ know!” the boy ignored him. “It’s spectacular! It’s almost like magic- how can you still say the word _faggot_ with Patrick’s _dick_ in your mouth?”

_Fuck. Shit. Richie._

Henry’s face went from annoyance to full blown rage, hollowed cheeks flushing red and eyes practically glowing.

 _God, he’s going to kill us,_ Eddie thinks feeling his gut twist at the thought. He’s _going to kill us, and we’re gonna be another pair of nameless queers that died on this stupid fucking bridge…_

“I mean, is it a ventriloquist act or-” Richie went on, and Henry grabbed him by the collar of his T-shirt and shoved his lanky frame into the wall, pressing the thin blade of the knife to the pale, freckled skin of Richie’s neck. He’d forgotten all about Eddie- he could run if he wanted to.

But he didn’t.

“Not so talkative now, huh, shithead?” Henry whispered, the light from his knife reflecting in the whites of his eyes.

_Do something._

Do _something!_

And then it hit him. A distraction was what he needed. 

Henry grinned. “I’m gonna make sure you never talk agai-”

“Officer Bowers!” Eddie cried suddenly, eyes widening at the end of the tunnel behind Henry. 

He saw the fear flash across Henry’s face, and for a second, Eddie almost felt bad.

But only for a second.

“Run!” he shrieked, yanking Richie out of Henry’s grasp while he was distracted and _running_ \- running like his goddamn _life_ depended on it. He could hear Henry yelling after them, but he didn’t look back- just held Richie’s hand tighter, ran _faster_.

They ran until they were in town, practically flying past the library and the school and _everything_ \- sneakers pounding the pavement and the wind in his hair and Richie’s hand clammy and shaking in his own.

They ran until their lungs hurt and their legs ached, until Eddie was sure they’d lost Henry and his evil eyes and his branded knife.

They ran to the quarry.

Branches whipped Eddie’s legs and twigs snapped beneath the rubber of his sneakers as he broke through the clearing, heart swelling at the familiar sound of water.

He stopped just short of the cliff’s edge with Richie’s hand still in his - he watched the pieces of earth kick up beneath his sneakers and drift down into the water below.

“What the _fuck_ , Richie?” He wheezed, dropping himself on to the ground with a sigh. Richie stumbled down next to him, a nervous, airy laugh bubbling up from his throat. Their legs dangled off the cliff’s edge, scabby, bruised knees knocking together. Richie’s hand was still warm in his, and Eddie couldn’t bring himself to let go just yet.

“What’s the matter, Eds?” He grinned easily, like the two of them hadn’t just narrowly escaped death.

“Dummy!” Eddie accused, whacking him in the arm. “You can’t just go around saying whatever you want to people like Bowers!”

Richie blinked blankly up at him through thick lenses, and Eddie glared at him - which was a little hard, considering the soft afternoon sunlight setting his freckly, pale face aglow. “All I did was tell him the truth,” Richie shrugged. “It’s not my fault he got all pissy about it.”

“We could’ve gotten _killed_ back there, Trashmouth,“ Eddie said sternly. "It doesn’t matter if its the truth or not, it’s Henry! He hates us, you know tha-”

He was cut off, by Richie surging forward and sealing their lips in a warm kiss, the rest of Eddie’s sentence smooshed by Richie’s surprisingly soft mouth on his, Richie’s arms around him, _Richie_.

They’d never kissed before - they’d held hands and hugged and whispered _I love you’s_ over the phone with soft sighs and secret grins, but they’d never actually _kissed_.

Eddie couldn’t believe he’d been he’d been missing out for so long.

Because Richie’s lips tasted like bazooka bubblegum, and his glasses poked awkwardly into Eddie’s cheeks, and the curls that always seemed to fall into his face tickled Eddie’s forehead.

It was _perfect_.

Eddie sighed a little as they broke apart, his lips practically burning as hot as his cheeks. He told himself to look away, but he couldn’t. He stared up at Richie’s soft, pale face, his shining freckles and flushed cheeks.

“What was that for?,” he whispered softly. He touched his mouth, wondering if there was anything on Earth sweeter or softer than Richie Tozier’s lips.

Richie grinned down at him, lopsided and endearing as ever. “Well, partly to get you to stop nagging me, _loser_ ,” he pinched Eddie’s cheek playfully, much to Eddie’s annoyance. “Partly because…well, you saved me back there, kid - you’re _always_ saving me,” he looked away, biting his lip, and Eddie’s heart _swelled_. “And you’re smart, and funny and cool and I guess this is just me trying to say thanks for liking a loudmouthed fucker like m-”

Now it was Eddie’s turn to lean forward. He leapt on to Richie and they both toppled backwards, laughing as Eddie attacked Richie’s pretty freckled face with _kisses kisses kisses_! 

And as they lay together, watching the sun set over the quarry- Eddie’s head on Richie’s chest and Richie’s knobby, freckled hand tangled in his soft hair, Eddie _knew._

Eddie _knew_ he would always save his dorky, loud trashmouth.

They’d save each other. Forever and always.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> [my tumblr](http://nasally-voice.tumblr.com/)


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